A Writer's Tale
by Grasshopper-chan
Summary: Tohru gets sick and is forced to stay home with Shigure. While at home, she discovers more about Shigure's past and his love for writing by finishing his life story in her own words. AU based on anime verse, disregards manga and much of canon.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:  I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters, and I am making no profit off this poor excuse of a fanfic. 

A/n:  Okay, this story is based on the anime version of fruits basket.  I haven't read the manga, so I don't know if anything is different there.  Secondly, updates might take a while because I have another fic I have been neglecting, but I doubt anyone will really care because, as I stated in my disclaimer, this fic is pretty pathetic in my own opinion. 

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"She's got a high fever.  I don't think Tohru-san will be going to school for the rest of the week," Hatori told the three men at Tohru's bedside.  She opened her mouth to protest, but Hatori firmly cut her off, "Doctor's order."  Yuki and Kyou both gave her apologetic smiles and ran off to work on their school projects.  Shigure was about to leave as well, but Hatori stopped him just outside the bedroom.

"She won't be doing any strenuous activity, Shigure.  No cooking, cleaning, school work or babysitting you three.  I think it's best that she is moved to the main house where I can keep an eye on her and Akito.  He's sick as well.  " Shigure frowned, a serious and upset look in his eye.

"I don't think that's necessary.  I'm home most of the day, so why not leave her here?  I'll take care of Tohru-kun.  Just tell me what I need to do, Hatori."  Noticing the insistence in Shigure's voice, Hatori sighed and nodded.  If the poor dog wanted to make things harder on himself, Hatori had no right to interfere.  He gave Shigure some paperwork, including a list of things to do and not do and a list of foods she could eat.  He gave him some medication she should have at different times each day.  "Is that it?" Shigure inquired, walking his friend to the door.  Hatori nodded.

"Just make sure she sleeps as much as possible.  We want her to recover, and we all know that when Tohru Honda is awake, she is doing something productive.  I'll come back this Sunday and check up on her then," he said and left for his car.  Shigure sighed and closed the door.  Reading through the list of foods, he realized that they were all things that he told Tohru specifically not to get.  He'd have to go shopping later on.  

Yuki and Kyou were sitting in the living room scribbling furiously in their notebooks.  Shigure walked right by them without taking his eyes off the papers in his hands.  Leeks...miso...daikon radishes...more leeks... Shigure laughed softly to himself.  Kyou would have a hard timing eating for the next week or so.  Shigure didn't intend to make anything special for them, seeing as they were independent enough to cook their own meals if they refused to eat his.  Well, Kyou at least, and Yuki would survive eating burnt food for a while.  Besides, there was still the cleaning, laundry, nursing poor Tohru back to health, and his work to think of.  His newest novel was due very soon, but he had a horrible case of writer's block and hadn't even finished the first chapter.  Either, way Tohru was top priority at present and Shigure was utterly determined to do his very best at taking care of her and the house since she couldn't.  With his new resolve in mind, Shigure went to bed early so that he could wake up in time to make breakfast.  

Shigure woke the next morning to the distinctly unpleasant sound of his alarm clock.  He cracked an eye open and groaned, burying his face in his pillow.  Not even the sun was up yet, so why was he?  Oh, that's right.  He was supposed to cook breakfast.  He stepped into the kitchen and rummaged around.  All he could find was fried rice and leeks.  He definitely had to go shopping before lunch time.  The rice and leeks turned out decent enough, but they were still horrible compared to Tohru's cooking in his eyes.  Kyou came downstairs and grabbed the carton of milk from the refrigerator.  He sat down and waited for Tohru to give him some food like she did every morning, but when he received nothing he looked up and noticed she wasn't there.

"Where's Tohru-kun?" he asked gruffly.  Shigure looked up from reading the newspaper, which he had taken the time to get before the other boy came down.

"She's sleeping.  Tohru-kun won't be joining us for breakfast, I'm afraid," he replied, returning to his place in the columns of recent information.  Yuki stepped sleepily into the kitchen and plopped down next to Shigure.  He stared into space for several seconds, but remained silent.  He was irritable.  He hated mornings, almost as much as he hated the baka neko sitting across form him, after all.

"Why the hell not?!" the cat shouted, his temper flaring.   Yuki cringed visibly and Shigure turned the page as if he didn't hear.

"No need to yell, Kyou.  Hatori ordered that she stay home for the rest of the week.  You two were there when he said it, so why the sudden confusion?" the dog answered coolly.  Yuki finally caught on to what they were saying and joined the conversation.

"Will she be alright here?  Should I stay home as well?" he inquired worriedly.  

"I'll be home taking good care of Tohru," he promised.  Yuki glared.

"That's what I'm afraid of.  Is leaving Honda-san alone with you really such a safe idea, given your sick and lecherous character?"  Kyou nodded in agreement.  

"I think I'll stay and protect her," the cat snapped decisively.  Shigure frowned, offended by the remarks.  Then again, they were right.  He was a renowned pervert who enjoyed the company of high school girls.  But...this wasn't just some schoolgirl; this was Tohru.  And...

"Hatori trusted me," he mumbled softly, more to himself that to the others.  It was true.  Hatori had trusted him to take good care of her.  Hatori knew him well enough, probably knew how he felt deep down about the girl, too.  He truly respected and admired Tohru's lively spirit and big heart.  How could someone not?  

"Well, that definitely wasn't one of Hatori's wiser decisions.  What was he thinking?" Yuki said in an upset tone.  

"What the hell is that idiot's problem, anyway?  Leaving an innocent girl home with this pervert..." Kyou grumbled.

Shigure looked back and forth from one boy to the other.  Neither one trusted him at all, that much was clear.  Was he that bad of a guy?

"You are not trustworthy enough to be left alone with her!" the two boys decided in unison.  Shigure felt really bad when they said that.  Maybe it was true.

"I trust him," a small voice said from the doorway.  Everyone turned to look at the person who said that, Yuki and Kyou out of disbelief and Shigure out of hope.  Tohru smiled at them and made her way over to her spot at the table.  She was still in her pajamas, but nobody minded.  Shigure stood immediately and began to serve her some rice and leeks.  She stared, surprised, and then smiled warmly.   She thanked him emphatically, as if he had spent hours preparing a gourmet multi-course meal.           

"It's my pleasure, Tohru-kun," Shigure said happily.  At least someone appreciated him, and the same person that appreciated him trusted him on top of it.  The thought made his insides tingle with excitement.  Someone trusted him despite all of his faults and past mistakes.  Then again, that's Tohru Honda for you, always trusting and eager to give.  "Well, you guys better be off or you'll be late for school!" he exclaimed, smiling at the disgruntled looks on their faces.  They glared and got up without having eaten a single bite.  Tohru laughed softly and waved to them as they hurried off to school.  She turned back to the table and saw Shigure staring at her with an unusually serious expression on his face.  

"What?  Did I do something wrong?" she asked, growing self-conscious.  The novelist shook his head and rose to clear the table.  He took as much as he could to the kitchen and set the pile by the sink.  He returned moments later and found Tohru gathering the remaining dishes and platters herself.  

"Don't even think about it, Tohru-kun!" he said and took the china away from her.  When he saw the girl was about to object, he spoke again so that she wouldn't insist.  If she did, he couldn't say no like he was supposed to.  "Hatori let me keep you at this house instead of the main one on the condition that you would not do any physical activity, not even chores or homework."  Tohru nodded and reluctantly allowed Shigure to usher her back to her room and tuck her into her bed.  "Now, stay here and rest.  If you need anything, don't hesitate to call," he exclaimed and went downstairs to finish the dishes.  

Tohru felt really bad about making Shigure do so much housework, and then he was taking care of her on top of it.  He probably had a lot of his novel to write and she was doing nothing to help make things easier.  She sighed and allowed herself to fall into a light sleep.  When she woke up, the sun was streaming through her windows very brightly.  Tohru blinked and looked around.  What had woken her? A light knock on the door caught her attention.

"Come in," she tried to say, but found that her voice was too raspy from disuse and sickness for her to speak.  Instead she sat up with the intention of opening the door herself.  She stood and took a step toward the door, but a wave of dizziness hit her and she collapsed on the floor with a loud thud.  Shigure's voice resounded from the other side of the door, very worried and shouting, but Tohru couldn't hear the words.  She must be sicker than she thought.  The door opened and Shigure stepped into the room.  He saw her sitting on the floor and ran toward her, saying things out concern that she couldn't make sense of.  The sound of his voice and the spinning of the world around her combined lulled Tohru into another state of mental confusion.  She slumped against him and he was transformed into a dog.  She held onto his neck and began to laugh and repeat nonsense in a loud, giggly voice.  She was delirious, and had managed to turn him into a dog, unable to properly complete human activities.

"Tohru?" Shigure asked uncertainly.  Is she wasn't sick it would have been very amusing.  However, she was and it was frightening him to no end.  He was able to free himself from her grasp and scampered over to the phone.  

"What's the doggy going?" she asked, crawling over and staring curiously him.  

"Calling Hatori...he'll know what to do with you," Shigure replied, figuring she wouldn't understand anyway.  She did.  She let out a distressed yelp and immediately grabbed hold of him once more. 

"No!  Don't call the doctor.  I'm fine.  I don't need one!  Just stay here with me.  Don't leave, Shigure," she cried, clinging to him and burying her face in his furry neck.  Shigure stood frozen, stunned by Tohru's behavior.  Should he call Hatori?  She was very feverish and incoherent.  It was the right thing to do...wasn't it?  But she clearly didn't want him to bring a doctor over for some reason.  Should he disregard her wishes, or should he stay with her and take care of it himself?  Shigure recalled what Yuki and Kyou had said earlier that day.

_You're not trustworthy enough to be left alone with her!_

The words brought back the familiar biting feeling he remembered too well, and he felt his anger flare up.  He couldn't let them see that he was inefficient at taking care of Tohru.  Even more so, Tohru had said she trusted him.  He couldn't let her down, either.  No, he had to prove that Tohru was right about him.  

"Alright, Tohru, I won't call Hatori, but you have to get back into bed," he told her slowly, as if speaking to a child.  Tohru nodded happily but didn't let go of his neck.  "Go lie down, Tohru," he repeated.  

"You too?" she asked with sad, pleading eyes.  "Tohru doesn't wanna be alone."  Shigure wavered slightly.  Sleep curled around Tohru's slender, sweet body...he shook his head mentally and looked at her again.

"Go to sleep.  You don't need me there," he commanded harshly, trying to keep his thoughts clean.  Tohru's eyes began to water and her lip trembled.  Shigure tensed at the sight._ Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.  Don't cry..._

Tohru burst into tears and sobbed against him like a young child who was didn't get their way.  That was the last straw.

"Okay, okay, okay!" he whispered fiercely.  Tohru's sobs became sniffles and she stared at him hopefully.  With a sigh, he relented, "I'll stay.  Just get into bed this instant, Tohru Honda."  Tohru obediently crawled over and into her bed.  She turned to him expectantly.  Shigure groaned and followed.  Oh, the pain!  This was the by far worst temptation he had ever had to face!  Being allowed to sleep next to Tohru and not being able do anything naughty...where was the fun in that?  It was torture!  

Shigure curled up beside the feverish girl and she pulled him closer.  She wrapped her arms around him and he felt her breasts against his back.  Her leg curled around him, too.  Shigure squirmed and turned around uncomfortably, but only made matters worse.  Her breasts were now in his face.  He fought down the blush and began to add number in his head.  Well, it didn't work. At all.  He resigned himself to an afternoon of endless torment.  He stared at the girl squeezing the life out of him and one optimistic thought entered his head.  _At least I won't have to worry about transforming back for a while._          

Meanwhile...

"...and then the first row in the matrix is multiplied by the lowest common denominator that will make the first number in the last row become zero.  Then..."

Yuki and Kyou were trying to get through a day without their beloved Tohru.  

Yuki sat at his desk, taking notes half-heartedly.  Tohru hadn't looked well earlier that morning.  He considered stopping at his base after school and picking something for her.   No, he couldn't afford it.  The sooner he got home the better!

Kyou was thinking something along the same lines as Yuki.  Not that either of them would've admitted it.  


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:  I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters, and I am making no profit off this poor excuse of a fanfic.

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Tohru slowly opened her eyes.  She remembered hearing someone knock on the door.  She got up to answer it and felt dizzy, but what happened after that?  Light breathing was heard beside her and Tohru saw Shigure in his zodiac for in her arms.  He wasn't asleep.  Actually, he looked a little relieved.  

"Shigure?" she said, her voice displaying her confusion.  "Why are you in my bed?" He didn't say anything, just sat up and breathed in a deep breath of air.  

"You were delirious.  You made me sleep next to you and then you hugged me really, really tight," he explained, well explained his condensed version at least.  "Are you hungry?  Would you like something to eat?  I'll make us some lunch!" With that, Shigure hopped off the bed and scurried down the stairs.  Tohru stared blankly.  

"Thanks, Shigure-san," she mumbled to no one.  She felt really bad.  Not only was Shigure taking care of her, but he was taking care of her chores as well.  As if that wasn't enough on its own, she kept him locked up in her room for who knows how long!  "Maybe I should help him cook," she said, a little excited that she might be able to make herself useful.  

She scampered downstairs and put the apron on.  Shigure, who had been trying to figure out how to use one of the slicing utensils, tried to protest.  Tohru just smiled and said she wanted to.  "I enjoy this, and I don't want my day to be a complete waste," she chirped with her usual smile.  Shigure let her help, but made sure she didn't strain herself at all.  Together, they made a magnificent lunch for two.  They ate together and chatted cheerily.  At one point, Tohru mentioned that she wanted something to pass the time.  Shigure told her she should be resting, but she insisted on staying active.  Therefore, he handed her a large, bound stack of papers and told her to read them and add to them.  

"What is this?" she asked curiously.  Shigure blushed lightly.

"One of my old, unfinished novels; I wrote it when I was about your age.  I never finished it because I didn't know how to end it.  Actually, I didn't really know how to start it.  I only got the first chapters done, but it's still valuable to me," he laughed.  Tohru's eyes lit up and her face colored happily.  Shigure was willing to share something special of his with _her_!      

"Thank you, Shigure-san!  I'm so happy!" she cried.  

"Why?" he asked.  It was just a little scrap of writing. 

"You're letting me read something of yours!  And you're letting me put a piece of myself into it!  Thank you so much!"   Shigure laughed and sent her up to her room.  Before she left, he said to her, "At least rest a little.  You don't have to sleep, just stay in bed."  She was more than happy to oblige and hurried up to her room to read one of his earliest works ever.  Shigure sighed and shook his head as he cleared the table. 

Tohru sat in her room reading the unfinished piece with enthusiasm.  Just knowing that Shigure cared enough to give her it to as she pleased made her feel much better.  The storyline was actually enthralling and Tohru found herself falling in love with the characters, the main one especially.  It was the story of a young boy that was swept away into the world at a very young age.  He witnessed the whims and evils of mankind through his own heartbreaking experiences, always loving but never truly finding the peace that comes with being loved.  When she came to the end of the last page, she felt compelled to finish the story left incomplete by its author.  Grabbing a pen and some paper from her desk, she began to scribble her ideas down on paper.  She worked intensely and completed three long chapters.  A knock on the door roused her from her thoughts and she looked up.  Shigure peeked into the room and smiled faintly when he saw her working hard.  

"Do you want me to bring you some dinner?" he offered.  Originally, he was going to make her eat downstairs with the violently concerned Yuki and Kyou, but seeing her so interested in something made him change his mind.  Tohru nodded and he quickly left, returning soon after with a tray full of appetizing food.  

"Shigure-san, this looks wonderful!  Did you make this?" she asked.  He nodded shyly and was about to leave. 

"Take it easy, Tohru-kun," he said as he closed the door.  Tohru smiled and took slow bites of the meal, savoring each morsel.  After all, Shigure put a lot of effort into making such a wonderful meal.  She knew it took a lot of time and energy to make something like that.  After she was finished, she set the tray aside, not bothering to carry it down at the moment, and continued to write.  She did that late into the night, copying her ideas onto paper, forcing them into intelligible words.  It was very difficult to convert such profound emotions into words on paper.  It was amazing that Shigure could do it for a living.  She figured he must be great at expressing himself.  

Hours later, before he went to bed, Shigure went up and checked on Tohru.  He found her hunched over in her bed, surrounded by countless sheets of paper covered on both sides with her writing.  He smiled and moved the papers to her nightstand.  He readjusted her position and tucked her in.  He let his fingers brush her bangs.  A warm feeling spread throughout his body and he bent down and brushed his lips gently against her forehead.  With that, he turned off the lamp by her bed and left the room, uttering a soft "goodnight" on the way out.          

The next morning, Shigure woke up before his alarm clock, set the table, made breakfast, and did the laundry.  He was cleaning the floor when Yuki woke up and wandered into the kitchen.  He stared at the older man for a long time before a single comprehensible thought made its way into his sleepy head.

"Where's Tohru?" he mumbled.  Shigure paused and shot Yuki a look that said 'you know where she is.'  Yuki shook it off and served himself some of the breakfast Shigure had prepared.  

"You didn't even check on her yesterday.  Don't you think that will upset her?  Don't you care?" Shigure asked frankly.  "She's more fragile than she appears and you know it.  Do you really think she's unaffected by the fact that you don't care enough to even see her when she's sick?"  Yuki scowled at his cousin.

"We were busy with our projects.  Honda-san will understand," Yuki spat irritably.  Shigure didn't say anything to the boy and Yuki departed shortly after.  He didn't even try speaking to Kyou.  He heaved a heavy sigh and continued his latest literary work.  Around supper time, he realized that Tohru hadn't come downstairs at all and brought some food upstairs for the bed-ridden girl they all held so dear.  

"Tohru-kun, I've brought breakfast," Shigure said through the door.  Tohru opened the door and let him in.  "Did you sleep well?"  She nodded as he set the food down.  

"Yes.  I fell asleep writing though, I think," she confessed.  "I probably should have stopped earlier, but I was getting to a really good part and wanted to keep going.  Besides, Yuki and Kyou didn't come and see me so I had nothing else to do," she said with a smile. Shigure's expression darkened.  

"You don't have to pretend it didn't bother you, Tohru-kun.  I know it did," he said.  She had already dropped the happy façade she was wearing and looked like she was about to break into tears.  

"Is it something I did?  Did I say or do something to make them mad at me?" she said and sniffled. Small tears began to trickle down her flushed cheeks.  Shigure felt his heart break.  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him tenderly.  He turned into a dog, but it didn't really matter.  She had fallen to her knees by then anyway.  He nestled his way into her lap and cuddled as much as he could.  She hugged him close and cried dejectedly.  Shigure just remained silent.  He was a man who earned his living by using his words, but in this case, there were none he could find to use.  

"Don't cry over them," he said after a while, when he wasn't able to stand hearing her cry anymore.  He licked her face clean of tears and nuzzled her face and neck.  "Don't cry, Tohru-kun.  It'll be alright.  Things will get better, you'll see," he mumbled into her ear, still in his zodiac form.  

"Shigure," she mumbled into his fur coat.  She shook her head slightly and sighed.  "Never mind...just, thank you."  She smiled, her eyes filled with their usual light once more.  Shigure found himself smiling as well. 

"I'm not sure what for, but you are very welcome," he replied at length.  She giggled. Shigure felt something flutter inside him.  Her smile was contagious, and her laughter warmed the soul.       

"Thank you for cheering me up...for being here, I guess," she replied and thought about it more.  "Thank you for holding my while I cried and for being a good friend.  You can lean on me, too, if you need to, okay?"  Shigure nodded and was about to reply when a loud knock was heard downstairs.  They exchanged curious glances and stood rose to their feet.  Tohru ran ahead to answer the door while Shigure waited to change back to his human form.  Soon, he heard the voices of Tohru and her friends downstairs heading in the direction of the dining room.  Eventually, he returned to normal and dressed himself.  He bounced playfully down the stairs and greeted them all childishly like he usually did.  Uo and Hana both gave him death glares.  

"You better be treating Tohru well, or else," the taller said brusquely, grabbing the novelist by the collar of his yukata.  Tohru's worried face stopped Uo from threatening him any further.  Hana just sent him bad vibes.  Shigure shuddered and offered to make them all some tea.  

"Thanks, Shigure-san," Tohru called after him as he disappeared down the hall.  

"Well, how are you feeling?  Everything's alright, isn't it?  It's not like you to miss school," Uo bombarded her friend with worried questions.  Tohru grinned like an idiot.  

"No, everything is so wonderful right now!  Knowing you guys care enough to visit makes me so happy I could cry!" Tohru said ecstatically.  Her friends were skeptical looks.  They could see she had been crying recently and that she was still feverish.  Still, they let it slide.  Shigure returned with tea for all of them, ignoring the bad vibes and dirty looks, and sat down next to Tohru.  

"So, Tohru-chan, what have you been doing for entertainment lately?" Hana asked, knowing that whatever it was, it made her very happy.  Tohru's blush confirmed her suspicions.

"Well, Shigure-san let me read one of his stories and then he said I could finish it," she chirped.  It had clearly been the highlight of her year.  She was practically glowing with radiant joy.

"I see.  Sounds interesting," Hana said.  "May I read it when you're finished?"

"Sure," Tohru replied without thinking.  Shigure just smiled in his easygoing manner and listened to the friends catch up.  He was glad Tohru's friends paid her a visit.  It clearly lifted her spirits.  Knowing she was happy made him happy, too.  After another hour or so, the girls departed and Tohru waved to them from the doorstep.  When she got back inside, she wandered over to Shigure's work room.  She slid the door open and saw him sitting at his laptop typing, most likely work.  She stepped inside the room, slid the door shut behind her, and sat down across from him, staring at his face, which wore a concentrating and serious expression.  He looked up, but didn't stop typing.  She stared at Shigure pensively for several minutes but didn't say anything.  He stopped working and watched her, concerned by her behavior. 

"Is something wrong?" he inquired.  She snapped out of her daze and blinked several times.  

"No, nothing's wrong," she answered contentedly.  Shigure inspected her closer and lifted a hand to her forehead.  She was burning up!  

"You have a high fever!  What are you doing out of bed?" he yelled.  She flinched at his harsh tone and Shigure instantly regretted raising his voice.  In a softer tone, he continued scolding her, "You're never going to get better if you don't take time to rest and recover, Tohru-kun.  Please go lie down and get some sleep.  I'll get you some medication and bring it up, okay?"  Tohru nodded and unquestioningly skipped up to her room.  Shigure saved his work and went to get the medication.  He also ran a cloth under cold water for her.  He slowly walked up the stairs and opened the door to her room.  She was lying in bed, a pained expression on her face.  He helped Tohru sit up and gave her the pills with a glass of water.  He then made her lie back down.  He put the cloth on her head and turned to leave.  Tohru grasped the sleeve of his yukata and looked up with pleading eyes.  

"Stay with me, Shi-chan?" she begged, sitting up.  Her top slid off one of her shoulders almost to the point of exposing her chest. Shigure felt his face heat up at the nickname she gave him.  Was this the same Tohru that was always so formal and polite, always trying to convenience others at her own expense?  Was this the angel that was more innocent than those most pure of heart?  "Stay...for me?" Shigure struggled with himself shortly, but in the end he threw morals to the wind and climbed into bed next to her.  She attached herself to his arm and moved her bare leg to rest on his inner thigh.  Her head hit the pillow and she was fast asleep.  This is the life, Shigure thought to himself and floated off to dreamland where he fantasized about the pretty high school girl next to him.     


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:  I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters, and I am making no profit off this poor excuse of a fanfic.

Shigure opened his eyes when he heard the door of the house open and Kyou and Yuki begin bickering back and forth.  Was it that late already?  Were student council and Kyou's club done?  What time was it? 

"Hello, anybody home?" the red head shouted from the bottom of the stairs.  Tohru stirred in her sleep and her eyes fluttered open.  She stared at him for a few seconds before processing their position.  She blushed and released him.

"I did it again?" she asked.  He nodded, grinning like an idiot.

"Don't worry about it.  I didn't mind one bit!" Shigure exclaimed.  Tohru's blush deepened, but her eyes were sad.  Shigure noticed this.  "Tohru, what's wrong?"

"I've been causing so much trouble for you, Shigure-san.  Feel so bad about making you do my chores and take care of me like this, and now I've prevented you from getting your work done.  I am so sorry!" she blubbered, tears rolling down her face.  Shigure raised his eyebrows in surprise at her hysterical form on the bed.  This was a side of Tohru that would take some getting used to.

"Well, Yuki and Kyou are back from school.  Why don't you come downstairs with me and say hello to them?  I'm sure they'd be very happy to see you." Shigure offered her a hand and Tohru stared at it.  She turned her eyes up and stared at his face, and then she returned her gaze to his extended hand.  Hesitantly, she slipped her small hand into his larger one and he helped her to her feet.  It was a good thing, too, because on her own, she would have fallen over.  Shigure laughed lightly and helped her down each step, almost lifting her off the ground for each one.  When they made it to the bottom step, she leaned on him the entire way to the room Yuki and Kyou were usually in.  They slid open the door and saw both of them working furiously on some written assignment.  Kyou sighed in aggravation, throwing his pen, and Yuki wore a vexed expression as he stared at a blank sheet of paper.  Shigure nudged Tohru and she remembered herself.

"Umm...welcome home," she said in a small voice.  Both boys' heads snapped up and they both immediately ran to her side, inquiring about her health and safety.  Tohru smiled and felt relief sweep through her.  They weren't mad.  Things were okay between them after all.  She sent a grateful look in Shigure's direction, but the inu was already heading back to his room to catch up on the work he missed.  Yuki lead Tohru to a seat and Kyou sat across from her while Yuki stayed by her side.

"How was your day?" Yuki asked kindly, much like the prince people perceived him as. 

"It was fine, Sohma-kun, but I was asleep a lot and don't remember much of it," she replied.  "How about you guys?  Did everything go okay?" 

"Yeah, but we've gotta write some stupid poems about friendship and all that emotional crap," Kyou replied.  Yuki sent the cat a condescending look.

"You hate writing about friendship because Honda-san is the only person generous to be your friend, you stupid cat," Yuki scoffed.  Kyou snarled and shot back a smart reply.  Yuki retaliated and then Kyou told him to shut up.  Tohru giggled at their behavior. 

"Oh!  Uo-chan and Hana-chan visited me today!" Tohru said.  They both stopped arguing and resumed listening to her.  "I think they skipped class to visit me, but I'm still glad they did."  They talked like old friends for a half hour before Shigure began running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to cook dinner.  Tohru had to tell him what to do step by step.  If she hadn't, they all might have been sleeping in tents like Tohru had not too long ago.  Without too much trouble, dinner was prepared by Shigure, who was advised by Tohru, and everyone was able to eat like a family.

 It was nice being able to eat with everyone, and Tohru was more than thankful Shigure was willing to put up with her so she could enjoy such intimate time with them all together like that.  When dinner was over, Shigure helped Tohru climb the stairs to her room.  She had completely exhausted her strength helping him cook, and all the while her body was fighting her sickness.  He was foolish to let her help around the house as much as he did.  It was only making her worse.   He tucked her into bed as he had done so many times in the passed couple days and left quietly.  Shigure noticed as the door was closing that Tohru was reaching for her story.  He shook his head.  He had been the same way when he was her age, and he still was sometimes.  He loved writing and being able to produce such fine masterpieces and intricate plots with his pen, although he nowadays he used a laptop more than a pen and paper.  It was less painful on the hands, fingers especially.

He sat down at his own desk and looked at the blank page in front of him.  For some reason, the words just wouldn't come.  Instead of working, he pulled a book off the shelf and began reading idly.  Before long, he found himself falling into a light sleep.  Meanwhile, Tohru was adding a new chapter to the story she was writing.  She felt as if she was really there in the book, and that she had ultimate control over what happened.  It was very different from her life, where she did nothing but serve others.  Although she liked helping people, she also had a selfish side that she hid deep in the shadowed crevices of her heart.  Even so, she knew that if things turned out the way she wanted them to, the story would only be half as good and wouldn't even compare to the rest of the novelette Shigure wrote. 

She desperately wanted a happy ending to the boy's tale, but she wasn't sure how it would happen if he ended up alone with the memories of his past haunting him in the end.  As she was writing, she shed many tears for the pains he had to suffer.  He finally found a family where he was loved, only to have it snatched away by assassins.  He found the girl of his dreams, but her father disapproved of the match and when she disobeyed him, he had her killed.  He lost his home, twice actually, and lived alone in a small, isolated cottage where no one could ever touch him, remaining as cold as snow so that his memories would never melt away.  He ended up much like Hatori at many times, but, if unrestrained, he would probably have been more like Shigure, wearing a smile to hide his heart's deep wounds.     

Tohru worked through the night.  Shigure had lied when he said he barely started the book.  It was almost three hundred and ninety pages in length and all that were missing were the last few chapters and a title.  That was what Tohru was working on.  Actually, she quite enjoyed the work, regardless of how strenuous it was mentally.  She couldn't put her pen down even though the sun was likely to rise soon.  Shigure would be upset with her if he knew, and Hatori would be angry with him if he found out.  Still, she never knew that she enjoyed composing literary works before.  Albeit, they were probably nothing like the masterpieces Shigure and other novelists created, but it was the best she could do with an unpolished ability. 

She heard someone banging around downstairs and rose to see who it was.  She took slow steps toward the racket in the kitchen and found all three of the Sohmas eating breakfast.  She paused.  Breakfast?  What...times was it?  She glanced at the clock and almost fainted.  It was almost six thirty! 

"Oh no," she mumbled to herself, drawing everyone's attention to her.  Yuki and Kyou were both worried.  She was a complete mess and looked like a zombie.  Shigure suppressed a chuckle.  He knew that look very well.  He used to meet his friends for breakfast with an appearance similar to that one almost every day when he was in high school.  Hatori always used to chastise him for not sleeping enough, and Ayame would always tease him endlessly about his love for recording words.  Neither one of them understood that his control over the events in a book was the only control he was given.  He didn't even have much say in his own life because of Akito's strict demands.  He never enjoyed the hassle of his friends on those mornings, so he decided not to say anything about it right away.

"Good morning, Tohru-kun.  Do you want some breakfast?" he asked with a smile that said 'it's alright, don't worry.'  Tohru nodded dumbly and walked uneasily toward her place at the table, afraid to loose her balance.  Yuki quickly brought her a plate and some silverware, and Shigure filled it with several different foods. 

Not long after breakfast, Shigure's editor came over and began to demand the last several hundred pages of his book.  Tohru watched in fascination as he did everything possible to avoid her, unsuccessfully of course.  She felt a little bit bad for the poor lady, though.  Yuki and Kyou couldn't really care less, and completely ignored the incidents.

"Um, Shigure-san?" she said after a while of watching them.  Shigure stopped running and was at her side in an instant.

"Is there something you need, Tohru-kun?  Something to drink?  Tea?  Water?  Juice?  Or maybe you're still hungry?  I'll make you some snacks, okay?" with that, he was already running toward the kitchen.  Tohru stared after him and blinked. 

"I was just going to ask why you like teasing your editor so much," she said softly to herself. 

"That idiot," Kyou mumbled under his breath. 

"Like you can talk, baka neko," Yuki said as he took a sip of tea. 

"What was that, kuso nezumi?" the red-head hissed.  "I dare you to say that again!"

"Baka neko," Yuki repeated clearly for everyone to hear. 

"Why, you...we're taking this outside!" Kyou shouted and stood to his feet.  Yuki stood calmly and walked over to him.  Before anyone knew what happened, Kyou was outside in the yard, the door was broken to bits, and Yuki was seated at the table as if nothing had happened.  Shigure poked his head into the room curiously and evaluated the damage. 

"Yuki, please try not to destroy the house," he said as he carried in some dumplings for everyone to eat.  He turned to the woman sobbing violently on the floor next to Tohru.  "Now, Mi-chan, what was it you were here for again?"  She stopped crying and glared.

"The last half of your book, sensei!  We need it today!" she cried.  Shigure gave her a blank look. 

"Oops.  Really?  That was today?  I thought it was next month," he said, scratching his head in confusion.  The poor woman burst into tears again. 

"Shigure-san, don't you think that's a little much?  I've never seen someone cry so much over a book before," Tohru said, only a slight hint of worry in her voice.  She was very amused actually.  True, she was giving and loving by nature, but she was miserable, too, and misery loves company.  She could afford to vent her negative emotions and be selfish a little when she was sick and forced to stay home, right?  She saw Shigure sigh in defeat and hand the compiled papers to his editor as if all his fun had been ruined. 

"Have a nice day, Mi-chan," he mumbled to the starry-eyed editor.  She thanked him and Tohru profusely and all but skipped out of the house in tears.  Shigure turned and saw Yuki and Kyou staring at him with deadpan expressions.  "Why aren't you guys in school?" he asked. 

"It's Sunday.  We don't have school today," Yuki said.  Shigure thought for a moment.  Something was supposed to happen Sunday.  A light went on in his head.

"Ah!  That's right!  Hatori will be coming by to check on Tohru-kun today," he said in a loud voice.  Everyone stared at him.

"So?" Kyou asked. 

"So, she might be going back to school tomorrow is she is well enough," Yuki explained slowly like he was talking to someone who didn't understand Japanese.  Tohru looked up from the dumpling in her hands. 

"I'm definitely well enough to go back.  I feel much better now, so don't worry about me!" she chirped energetically.

"How do you do it?" Shigure asked.  He could never be so bubbly after missing a night of sleep while he was sick.  She was amazing.  She always was, regardless of the circumstances.  That's just the way Tohru was: amazing, and the word didn't even do her the smallest shard of justice. 

Tohru just smiled and shrugged.  "I dunno," she said.  "Shigure-san, do you have a thesaurus I can use for later?  Mine is at school."  Shigure nodded and bounced off to get it.  Yuki turned to Tohru in confusion.

"Why do you need a thesaurus, Honda-san?" he inquired.  She didn't want to write her poetry project, did she?  "You shouldn't be writing in your condition.  It won't help you recover."  She was just starting to look a little better after breakfast.  He didn't want her to strain herself and get sick all over again.  Tohru wore a guilty expression on her face and Yuki almost felt bad about telling her not to do her homework. 

"I'm sorry, Sohma-kun, but I have to write.  I don't think I could stop now if I wanted.  I have to know how it ends," she answered.  Yuki was perplexed.  What was she talking about? 

A knock on the door alerted everyone to another visitor.  Tohru hopped to her feet and Shigure bounced out of his room, thesaurus in hand.  They both raced to the door.  Tohru got there first because the kitchen was closer.  She opened the door and was greeted by Momiji and Hatori.  She smiled and opened the door to let them in.  Hatori sent Shigure a death glare and Shigure shrunk back in fear.  That's right.  He wasn't supposed to be letting Tohru get up and walk around. 

Tohru let Momiji lead her into the sitting room by the hand.  He was laughing and skipping the whole way, seemingly ignorant of her ill appearance.  Not that Tohru minded.  It made her feel better to see someone so happy and energetic.  He giggled at something Kyou said, but Tohru wasn't listening.  She was staring at the two older men arguing on the front porch.  She hoped it wasn't about something she did.  Excusing herself politely, she walked over them, stopping short when she was within hearing range, and stood out of sight. 

"I told you not to let her be up and around, Shigure.  She should have been completely well by now, but she looks like she hasn't gotten enough sleep all week.  How much work have you made her do?" Hatori demanded sharply.  Tohru leaned a little closer, knowing Shigure wouldn't raise his voice like Hatori was.  It was unusual that the stoic doctor was shouting himself, but Tohru shoved the thought out of her mind. 

"She's only done what she wanted to do.  I didn't make her do anything.  If she wanted to help with the chores, who am I to refuse?"

"It's in her nature to want to help, but helping herself helps those close to her in the long run.  That is what both you and she have to understand."

"She just pulled an all-nighter.  She didn't do any chores.  She was probably in bed all night, too, but I wouldn't know either way.  It's her room and she had her door closed.  I respected her privacy." 

"You were irresponsible.  She's a minor in your care and you neglected her well-being because you thought she knew what's best for herself when she was in a delirious, feverish state of illness?  You cannot be trusted to take care of yourself.  I knew that.  I am the one at fault for leaving my patient in your care." 

Tohru winced when she heard those words.  They were harsh and painful.  Still, those remarks must have hurt Shigure more.  None of it was true either.  Shigure was a very trustworthy and competent guardian.  He made sure she ate and in bed at reasonable hours.  He took care of her chores and was always on call, ready to serve.  Tohru took a deep breath and stepped out from her hiding place, her sadness showing on her usually radiant angelic features.

"It's not Shigure-san's fault.  It's mine.  He helped me to bed and even tucked me in.  I waited until he left to start writing.  He wouldn't have known I was up.  He saw me getting ready to sleep.  He made sure I ate good meals; he really outdid himself with the cooking.  He did all the household chores by himself.  He took care of me when I was a delirious, emotional train-wreck.  He finished his work on time like any responsible adult.  He was there all day and all night.  That's what's important, right?  He was there if I needed him."  _And I **did** need him._ 

Hatori remained silent.  At length, he spoke to the inu in a very solemn and strict voice, "Her speech was very convincing, but it doesn't change the fact that she looks worse than when I saw her several days earlier.  Shigure, you have not followed through on your half of the bargain.  Tohru-san will have to be moved to the main house for better treatment.  That is, after all, what we agreed on."  Shigure growled angrily.  He wouldn't let Tohru be taken away from his house without doing all he could to resist.  After all, before she came into their lives, the Sohma family was completely lost.  He was no exception.

"Tohru isn't going anywhere.  If she wants to leave, she is free to go with you, but under no conditions will I allow you to take someone important to me away against her will."  Tohru felt her cheeks heat up.  He said she was important to him.  Did he mean that?  She heard Hatori sigh and looked up at him.

"Why do you always insist on being so stubborn?  You won't gain anything from it, Shigure, and you know I'm right.  Think about what happened in the past.  Do you want history to repeat itself?  Do you really want to end up hurt again?  Think about what Shouko said that evening."  Shigure was glaring at Hatori with fiery rage.  He looked almost insane. 

"Don't you dare bring her up!  How dare you say her name as if it was just some woman you met on the street!  What happened to her was our fault, Hatori!  I know that, believe me, I do!"  Hatori regarded him carefully.  Tohru just stayed silent.  However curious she was, she felt awful.  She was causing trouble for Shigure again and now Hatori, too.  She was just an unworthy burden to everyone.

"Do you?  I don't think you really remember, or you might have treated this girl better." 

"I do.  I remember her demise was because of my mistake, because I couldn't tell her the truth..." Shigure trailed off.  "But Tohru...she's...she's Tohru.  It's not just me this time.  Yuki, Kyou, Momiji, we all are here this time.  Tohru knows that.  Shouko and all the memories surrounding her are in the past.  I hold each and every moment dear to me, but I can't relive them.  What happened is the past.  I am looking forward now, Hatori, to the future.  The future belongs to Yuki and Kyou and Tohru.  They aren't going to make my mistakes.  They won't have to suffer my losses.  Tohru isn't Shouko."  Tohru stared in wide-eyed confusion.  She didn't have a clue about what Shigure and Hatori were saying. 

"Um...who's Shouko?" she asked.  Both men jumped at the sudden sound of her voice and turned to her with guilty expressions.  At that moment, Tohru could tell.  She had just heard about another one of the dark Sohma family secrets. 

"Are you sure you're ready to know?" Hatori asked in a compassionate voice, trying to dispel any uncertainties. She looked at their faces once more.  Shigure's horrified frown showed her just how serious a secret it was.  She wanted to know what happened to them, to Shigure.   She had always wondered what his story was.  But...was she ready to hear the truth?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters, and I am making no profit off this poor excuse of a fanfic.

Warning: major OOCness!

Tohru stood still, her eyes and attention focused on Shigure's volatile form. He looked so dangerous, almost like he was going to attack Hatori. It was clearly a very sensitive subject for him, and Hatori's insensitivity pained him greatly. Poor Shigure. She wanted to help, but she didn't even know what the problem was.

"Who is Shouko?" Tohru repeated her question. She had her mind made up. She wanted to know, needed to know. She had to help in any way she could. Shigure's eyes flashed with a strange emotion, but it disappeared before Tohru could identify it. He returned to his easy-going self and the dangerous gleam in his eyes disappeared. Hatori seemed concerned about that, but chose to remain silent. Shigure bounced over to Tohru, who was standing in the doorway, and gave her a fake smile.

"Just be yourself and take things slowly. No need to rush into anything, ne?" he said in his usual light, overly friendly, almost brotherly tone as he passed her and walked inside. Tohru smiled and nodded. She turned to Hatori for a brief moment and saw him lighting a cigarette. She could tell he was going to stay outside for a while. She stepped into the house, closed the door behind her, and found everyone congregated in the dining room, eyeing her and Shigure with concern. They must have heard, she thought. She took a seat near Shigure, who was quietly trying to think in the corner of the room to the left of the door. The other boys shrugged it off and resumed their normal behaviors.

Momiji was making Kyou mad and Yuki was giving them both condescending looks. Nothing had changed with those three, yet Tohru couldn't help but feel that, during her absence, she had drifted apart from them. It was as if they had grown tired of her presence and had found the excuse they needed to get rid of her. That thought made her feel really useless, but it just seemed to true. They barely even acknowledged her when she joined them. It was a simple, effortless courtesy, showing someone they were important enough to be endured for a short time.

Tohru had been so busy upsetting herself that she didn't notice Shigure's eyes on her. He was surprised that she had sat down next to him instead of clinging to Yuki or Kyou like she usually did. It wasn't a bad thing, not by far, but it still didn't seem right. Maybe something was wrong with her again? She seemed to enjoy clinging to him when she was feverish. Or, perhaps, she wanted to make sure he eventually told her about Shouko. If that's the case, she didn't have to worry. If there was anyone in the universe he wanted to tell, it was Tohru.

He was very angry at Hatori for mentioning Shouko in front of Tohru. The way he spoke of her with so little respect had bothered him, but he just hadn't been ready to confront Tohru with his dark past. He did want her to know, but he wanted the time to be right. Everyone else had found the perfect time and way of telling her about themselves. He fell behind in that race. He had been afraid to speak of something so personal with a practical stranger, but soon enough, she had become so valuable to him that he feared her rejection. Sure, she had accepted everyone, even Kyou, knowing full well that they were severely cursed, but the curse had nothing to do with his pains.

His distorted, selfish personality was what ruined his life. While the others were still good people in their own ways, he wasn't. His heart was as revolting and twisted as Kyou's physical curse on rainy days, worse perhaps. He didn't want such a wonderful and good person to see all of the dire misery he was overcome with. Yet, he still wanted her to know. A small part of him still had a hope for tomorrow. Perhaps she could still help him confront the ghosts of his past like she did for the other cursed Sohmas. Her very company was able to lighten him considerably, just by being in the same room. Just the thought that she chose to sit next to him lifted his spirits.

"Tohru-chan is something the matter?" he asked breaking the long, comfortable silence. She tensed and looked at him, a little guilty smile playing on her features. She shook her head slowly, but they both knew she was lying.

"No need to rush into things. Jumping to conclusions could cause even more trouble," she said softly. Shigure didn't feel he fully understood, but put it away for later. He remembered something and handed her the thesaurus he had gone to retrieve for her earlier. She took it gratefully.

"Thank you so much, Shigure-san. I'll give it back soon," she promised sincerely. Shigure just waved his hand dismissively.

"It's no problem at all, Tohru-chan. You can keep it if you want. I've got plenty of them." Tohru was about to argue, but Shigure cupped a hand over her mouth. "Just accept the gift. It's old and used, so it's nothing special, but you'll get some good use out of it. That thesaurus has some very rare words in it. Just consider it an award from one writer to another for dedication in completing a story, okay?" She thought about it. Finding no plausible argument, she accepted the gift.

"But that means you've gotta finish it!" Shigure said light-heartedly, although he really wanted to see what she'd written. He was sure she'd be a great writer. She had a very thoughtful mind. Although she wasn't always the brightest bulb on the tree, Tohru Honda was a wonderful person, and it showed in everything she did.

"Yes, of course! I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't finish it and now more than ever since you've given me such a wonderful aid to do it. I will do my very best to finish the story and not let you down. After all, my mother always used to say that anything worth doing is worth doing one hundred percent!" she babbled. Shigure just smiled at her. She really was so sweet and cute, especially when she was nervous or excited. Her eyes would just light up and her entire face would glow with life and fire that seemed smothered when she was doing chores.

True, she smiled and enjoyed helping out, but it wasn't her favorite thing to do, despite what Yuki and Kyou seemed to think. Shigure was curious about what she would write. A writer always leaves a little bit of themselves behind in their work. Usually, it is something trivial like a personal preference or taste, hobby, opinion, or even their problems, like he did in the novel Tohru was adding to. Yep. That was his story in a nutshell, taking place way in the past during the times of the imperial courts, of the emperor and empress, of noblemen and noblewomen. The reason it wasn't finished was because his life wasn't over yet. Instead of recording the events himself, he wanted to see what Tohru thought should happen to him. He entrusted his future to her. Not that he would tell her that...not yet anyway.

"...ne, Shigure?" he heard Momiji say. He stared blankly for a brief second. Momiji sighed and turned back to the other boys. "Those two are so spacey, ne? It's like they can't even concentrate on a conversation for a few minutes." Shigure glanced at the girl next to him and saw the uncomfortable blush rising to her cheeks.

"That's not a very nice thing to say, Momiji. Tohru-chan's been sick! She can't be expected to perform perfectly on no sleep or strength," Shigure chided. The three boys stared at him wordlessly. He was never the type to take offense easily, so it would naturally come as some surprise.

"I'm going to go to bed," Tohru said softly and rose to her feet. Shigure smiled and waved as she left. He wasn't sure if she was going to sleep or write, but it didn't really matter. She would be doing something self-beneficial either way. As long as she didn't cry herself to sleep or anything...no, she wouldn't do that. Would she?

Tohru closed the door of her room soundlessly and, climbing into her bed, curled up into a tiny ball. She felt like crying. She couldn't help being sick. She couldn't help her sudden love for writing. She couldn't help it! Why did Yuki and Kyou have to be so inconsiderate? It was so unlike them! Normally, they at least showed they cared somehow. Why would it suddenly be so different? Was it because she had failed to bring the family together to remedy the curse thus far? And who was Shouko? She knew that the woman was an important figure in Shigure's past, but she was scared to know what happened to her. She didn't want it to end up like the portion Shigure wrote in their story.

"Who was she?" Tohru mumbled to herself when she heard the soft knock at her door. She was hoping to hear Yuki's voice, telling her that he made leek soup, or Kyou wanting to check up on her. She was suddenly so caught up in wishful thinking that she didn't hear the door open.

"Shouko Sohma was my fiancée." Tohru jumped and looked at Shigure, who was standing in the doorway. "She and I were high school sweethearts. We didn't want to separate, so we decided to get married instead. Marriage just seemed like the natural thing to do. Shouko-kun was so excited. I was too, I guess." He paused, a warm smile playing on his features at the memories. His face darkened and he continued. "She knew about the curse. Well, she knew there was a curse. She didn't know what it was. I'd like to think that she wouldn't have thought less of me. Anyway, we decided to meet at the main house and discuss the marriage with Akito, and hopefully get permission to share the family secret with her. I wanted her to know, but I was too afraid to tell her. I didn't know what I'd do if she looked at me with pure disgust and horror in her eyes. So, I always put it off and kept it out of my mind as much as possible. I decided in the end that she would be better off without me.

"Simultaneously, I spoke with Akito about having her memories erased. She would suffer is she knew about the curse, and I'd had plenty of happy times with her as it was. I had no right to ask for more. I stayed up almost all night writing an essay for my top choice college. I woke up almost an hour late, so, in order to make up for my error, I left the house without dressing formally. I arrived at the main house just a couple minutes later than planned, and I didn't see Shouko-kun anywhere. I just naturally assumed she was late, and I went ahead to speak with Akito about our plan to send her away with a case of amnesia. Like I said, even though I loved her, I didn't want her to be involved with the Sohma family. Akito had no objections to sending her away. None whatsoever." Shigure swallowed hard and averted his eyes as he spoke once more.

"I entered the room to find Shouko-kun lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Akito was standing over her, a dagger in hand. There was blood everywhere; on the walls, on the floor, on the ceiling...and Akito's white robe was stained a rich crimson color. His eyes...I will never forget the look in his eyes that day. He was insane. He killed the woman I loved. He enjoyed doing it. Still...I cannot bring myself to blame him. I didn't deserve her and, like anyone involved with _us_, Shouko-kun had to pay for it. Akito was just the one to decide and deal the punishment." Several small tears trickled down his cheeks. Tohru was on her feet and running toward him in an instant. She hugged him and he welcomed it, transforming into the dog of the zodiac. She felt him cuddle further into her arms and she just held him close as they both cried.

"I'm sorry, Shigure," she whimpered. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" She just kept repeating the phrase over and over again. Each time, it cut deeper and further into Shigure's grieving heart. For some reason, his past...it didn't hurt so badly anymore. In fact, it's almost like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt bad about making Tohru cry, but he was glad he told her. He felt that his past had met his present and, because of that, he could finally continue on toward his unknown future, guided by Tohru's delicate hand and smile.

Tohru stood up when she heard the house door open and close. Hatori must have finished his cigarette. She wiped her eyes and fixed her appearance as much as she could. Shigure just watched as she ran around the room, making an unnecessary effort to look presentable for her doctor. She turned to him and smiled brightly.

"Will you come with me?" she asked with hopeful eyes. Shigure nodded and strolled down the stairs next to her in his animal form. They reentered the kitchen and looked at Hatori expectantly. The doctor raised an eyebrow and motioned for Tohru to take a seat near him so he could examine her. She complied, all the while being tailed by a large black dog. Hatori wisely chose not to comment on Shigure's altered presence for the time being. Instead, he checked Tohru's heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, temperature, etc. When he was done, he told her she was recovering well and could go back to school whenever she wanted. Tohru was more than pleased to hear that. In the passed several days, she had already neglect her mother and her mother's wish to keep going to school. Shigure was happy for her and showed it by crawling into her lap in an almost cat-like manner, rubbing his side on hers as he moved. He licked her face like a pet would. He felt her tense and look down at him nervously. He just smirked, and she could see the playfulness in his eyes. Relaxing, she tuned in and listened to the other conversations the boys were having at that point. Shigure glanced at Hatori and saw the well-hidden surprise in his eyes. However, the surprise was accompanied by clear warning. Shigure pointedly ignored it and urged Tohru to pet him. Reflexively, she began to stroke him as if he were a pet. He sighed and leaned into her soft, warm hand. Ah the bliss...he was definitely in heaven. He saw Yuki glaring at him and then watched as all eyes turned to him with jealous anger burning in them; well, all eyes except Tohru's.

"Aw, Tohru, why didn't you let me sit in your lap?" Momiji whined.

"Why the hell are you letting that dirty old man get so damn close to you, stupid girl?" Kyou shouted over the young blond.

"Shigure, get off Honda-san right this instant," Yuki growled warningly. Shigure just smiled wordlessly and remained where he was.

"That's not very nice, Kyou. Shigure-san isn't a dirty old man at all. He's very nice and honorable. He went all the way to the school earlier this week just to get me one of my books." They all stared at the girl caressing Shigure's furry body. She really didn't get it, did she? Shigure probably went so willingly because he wanted to see the high school girls in their uniforms. Still, no one said anything to shatter her high opinion of the writer.

"Well, we really must be off," Hatori said, motioning for Momiji to get ready. Momiji pouted, complaining as he gathered his things. Tohru moved Shigure from her lap and stood to see them out. Hatori had to drag Momiji to the car because the boy wanted nothing more than to stay and chat with Tohru. Tohru waved as they disappeared, smiling as genuinely as she could manage. When they were out of sight, she went back into the house and saw Shigure, in his human form, arguing with Yuki and Kyou.

"Dammit! What the hell is your problem? Tohru-kun is so kind and naïve that she trusts you and you take advantage of her! How sick and twisted is that?" Kyou bellowed. Yuki turned his nose up in disgust.

"I hate you almost as much as I hate the baka neko, Shigure. Ugh! I can't even stand to look at you!" Kyou got up and stomped out of the room, bumping Tohru's shoulder as he turned the corner. Rudely, he just kept walking, not knowing or caring that she had lost her balance and hit the wall painfully. Both Shigure and Yuki had seen it. Both were angry. Neither said anything. Yuki didn't know what to say. Shigure was too appalled to speak. Tohru just straightened herself up and smiled like it never happened.

"What would you like for dinner?" she asked them.

"Leeks or miso."

"You're not cooking, Tohru-chan."

"Yes I am," she replied firmly to Shigure's objection. "I guess I'll make something with leeks and miso soup, okay? I'm well enough to cook tonight." Shigure was already on his way to the kitchen. Tohru sighed and sat down across from Yuki, smiling uncomfortably. He just stared at her.

"Honda-san-"

"Yuki-kun-"

They both blushed. "What were you going to say, Honda-san?" Tohru just shook her head.

"It was nothing. What were you going to say?"

"Nothing important, really," Yuki mumbled. Tohru frowned.

"Everything you say is important, Yuki-kun!" When she realized what she said, her blush deepened. Yuki blushed, too.

"..."

Several agonizingly long minutes later, Shigure walked back into the room with the food he had been cooking. He had begun to prepare it before Hatori arrived, so it didn't take long. The trio ate quietly, not bothering to start conversation until Shigure could no longer stand Yuki glaring a hole into his head.

"What?" he said. Yuki's glare darkened. Shigure knew that Yuki was just jealous of him. After all, he had been given the blessed opportunity to spend so much time with Tohru. Kyou was jealous, too, and Momiji. You could tell by the glares he received during Hatori's visit. The worst part had probably been Tohru's oblivious attitude toward him. It wasn't a conscious notion. She had just developed a dependence on him while she was ill and was used to him being nearby. He merely chose to take full advantage of it.

"I hate you," Yuki spat and shoved a bite of food into his mouth while still maintaining his glare. Shigure shrugged. He didn't care. He was tired of being the easy-going, lovable guy. So what if Yuki hated him?

"Too bad," Shigure replied in a cheery voice, an attractive smile plastered on his face. It soon turned to a melodramatic pout and he sighed loudly. "That's not the first time someone has said those cold words to me. At least now, no one is left to say it. I am all alone in the cold, bitter, harsh, cruel world with no one that loves me. Yep. I'm just a lonely old man living in an isolated house who writes mediocre books for a living. Oh, woe is me..." he trailed off and shook his head. Yuki rolled his eyes. Tohru responded just like the writer predicted; sweet, predictable Tohru.

"That's not true, Shigure-san! We all care about you very much!" She saw the look of disagreement on Yuki's face and added, "Well, I do at least..." She blushed and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Shigure grinned, pointing and laughing at Yuki.

"Tohru-chan has such a big heart!" he exclaimed. "Why, without her heartwarming presence and wonderful, delicious cooking, I might as well be the old man I mentioned."

"I'm not that great!" Tohru objected.

"Of course you are, Tohru-chan! Tohru-chan is the greatest!" Shigure corrected. He enjoyed watching her squirm and blush, knowing he was the cause. Around her, he could be openly playful and still be himself.

"No, really, I'm not," she insisted stubbornly. Yuki groaned and left. They would be arguing about it for a while. Both of them were stubborn and foolish enough not to know when enough is enough.

"Surely you are."

"Not."

"Are, too!"

Tohru sighed and shook her head. "This isn't going anywhere." Shigure laughed lightly.

"You're right. It isn't. Still, you are the greatest company an old man like me could have." She didn't argue that time. She just turned a deep red. His tone wasn't teasing. It was serious. He wasn't joking.

"You really enjoy my company?" she asked uncertainly, casting a short glance at his eyes for confirmation. Shigure nodded.

"It'll be quite lonely around here without you during the long hours of the day. I actually quite liked spending so much time with you." Tohru felt her heart flutter. Shigure Sohma enjoyed spending time with her. She allowed a slow smile to cross her face, reaching her eyes, her heart, and even her soul.

"Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters, and I am making no profit off this poor excuse of a fanfic.

A/n: Thanks for all the reviews! I enjoyed them very much. To 'Princess of darkness and me': Thanks for telling me how Tohru addresses others and is addressed. I purposely changed Shigure's way of calling Tohru from -kun to -chan because I find it more endearing. I didn't know about Kyou just calling her Tohru, though, so thanks a bunch XD.

Tohru woke up to the unpleasant sound of her alarm clock for the first time in half a week. She didn't complain, though, as she sleepily got ready and made her way to the kitchen to make breakfast. She stood in the doorway and stared at the figure standing in front of the cutting board. Her hazy mind took in the person's appearance and slowly she realized who it was.

"Shigure-san?" she mumbled, her voice raspy from lack of use. Shigure stiffened and turned, a nervous smile playing on his face. "What are you doing?" He laughed uneasily. He was embarrassed to be caught helping her do her work.

"I am a creature of habit, I guess. Once I start doing something, it is difficult for me to change my routine." Tohru smiled, understanding what he really meant.

"May I help?" she asked, leaving no room for objection as she forced him to make room for her. Shigure relented and they spent the morning preparing breakfast. Tohru discovered that Shigure had a hidden talent. Well, she had an idea from the meals he had prepared recently, but he was truly a marvelous cook. Too bad he hadn't shown it to Yuki before she arrived at Sohma house. They traded tips and secrets, showed each other neat tricks they'd learned in the kitchen, and set the table before Yuki or Kyou even came downstairs. They were cleaning up when Tohru looked at the clock. "Oh, no, I'm late!" she cried. Shigure smiled and persuaded her to leave the cleaning to him. Yuki came down at the same moment Tohru left to do the laundry. He wasn't awake enough to see the hurried look on her face; he hardly even knew she had passed him in the hallway. Shigure popped up next to him as he was eating and grinned.

"Good morning, Yuki-kun! How are you today?"

"I...hate...mornings..." Shigure blinked twice and slowly backed away. Yuki was in one of his moods again and he didn't want to be on his bad side. Kyou of course, didn't notice and when he entered he said began complaining about the miso in the breakfast food. Yuki knocked him out and continued eating.

Tohru stopped into the room momentarily, panting and rushed still. "We're late, Sohma-kun! If we don't hurry, we'll be tardy on my first day back!" Yuki stared at her for almost a minute and then turned his eyes to the clock. They widened considerably and the three students all raced out the door without as much as a goodbye to Shigure.

"Take care!" Shigure called after them. When they were gone, his smile faded and he reentered the silent house he once considered cozy and peaceful. He used to enjoy the quiet. It helped his creative spirit flow into his pen without distraction. But now, it felt cold and dead. At least Tohru would be able to be near her friends. That thought gave him some comfort. He sat down at his desk and, for the first time, was not able to do what he was best at. He couldn't coax a single word out of his head. Not a single one. Why? He knew. It was because Tohru was gone. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made to him. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Shigure picked up the phone and dialed a number. He heard Hatori's voice answer and he began to bombard his friend and advisor with a happy façade.

"Hi, Hatori! How are you? You're good right? Are you busy? Can we meet somewhere for lunch? I'm bored because everyone went to school and left me all by my lonesome self. Is Aya-kun there? Why don't we all get together like in the good old days? Please pretty please?" he begged. He heard the doctor scowl on the other side of the line.

"I'm very busy, Shigure. I don't have time to baby-sit you and Ayame while you play your little games." Shigure pouted and dropped his act.

"Then just you and me? I need to talk." A long pregnant pause followed. A sigh was heard.

"Fine. The usual time and place, I presume?" Hatori said in defeat. Shigure nodded but quickly realized that the dragon couldn't see the gesture.

"Yes..." He paused. "Hatori?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks." Shigure hung up and sat back in his chair. His eyes drifted over to an old book that he kept hidden and close by at all times. He reached out, took it off the shelf, and opened it to a bookmarked page. It was the last page with handwriting on it. He began to read the contents to himself.

_To the one who lifts my soul and lights my heart on fire:_

_ Shigure, if you ever read this diary, I just want you to know something. Know that I am so thankful I was able to meet you. I never regret getting to know you over the years we spent together. I will always treasure our shared memories, and I hope you will, too. If I could, I would tell the world how much I cherish being able to love you, but I don't have to power or the proper words to make my wish reality. Even so, I want you to know that no matter what happens, I forgive you and love you just as I always have. You are a very special and amazing person. Be proud of who you are. I just wish sometimes that you would show me who you are. I know there is so much you keep hidden from me. You hold back and lock away whatever part of you I might not approve of. I don't want it to be like that, Shigure. I want to know you, all of you, the way you know me. You can trust me. I won't love you any less no matter what your family's curse is. I promise you that much. I love you unconditionally. Please be happy; find a place where you can truly rest. Find a pair of arms that will always hold you close and be there for you when you want to cry. Find a person who will always love you like I do, and who has been able to gain your love. Even if that one person for you and you alone isn't me, I hope you are able to find them. It is my greatest wish that you do find the happiness you so deserve...and you DO deserve it, Shigure! _

_My sincerest love,_

_Shouko__ Sohma_

_P.S. If you actually read this, Shigure, I WILL know and I will make you suffer for reading such an embarrassing and personal entry! _

_P.P.S.__ I like the way your surname sounds with my first name better than Shouko 'Murasaki'. Don't get all flustered. I was just trying it out. But you wouldn't know unless you're reading my very PERSONAL diary, ne? And before you start saying I am paranoid, remember, "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean there isn't someone following me." Luv Ya!_

Shigure laughed softly to himself and put the book back on the shelf. "Paranoid...she always did have a way of spoiling a romantic mood...just like Tohr-" his smile turned into a frown. "I need serious help. Tohru-chan is still just a young schoolgirl." He glanced at the clock and decided it was time to meet Hatori.

He walked through the city streets into a quiet, uptown area. He saw the familiar sign and saw Hatori's car parked nearby. He smiled to himself and walked into the coffee shop. It was small, comfortable, and familiar. He, Ayame and Hatori would always stop for coffee when they were in high school and it was there favorite place. They usually spent several hours a day there doing their homework. They had become friends with the owner and employees there, but everyone quit during the ten years between then and the present. Still, it brought back memories; it was important to him. After all, that was how he met the young, chipper waitress named Shouko.

He saw Hatori sitting at their usual table and sauntered over to join him. As he slid into the booth across from his friend, Hatori looked up from his papers and took a sip of his coffee. He set the work aside and waited silently for Shigure to say something. During serious meetings, Shigure never beat around the bush. He would always just start talking about his problems when he was ready. Sometimes it took a while for him to be ready, but it didn't bother Hatori too much...just a little bit.

"How can you tell if you're meant to be with someone?" Hatori raised an eyebrow at his friend. "I mean, how can you tell if they are the one you are supposed to spend your life with?"

"Do you mean in marriage?" Hatori replied. Shigure shook his head fervently, but soon after nodded, embarrassed. "That is something you have to decide on your own. Why? Is there someone you are in love with?" Shigure nodded again. "Sometimes, being in love with someone isn't enough, Shigure. Certain conditions have to be met, and both parties have to be ready and willing to make the necessary commitments. More than that, they have to be able to follow through on their vows. It takes a lot of hard work and time from both to make a marriage work. It cannot be a one sided effort. If one party doesn't follow through, it won't work. Do you understand?" Shigure nodded, although he wasn't sure he understood. Hatori didn't comment on his simple affirmative answer. "So, who is this mystery person you've fallen for?" Shigure blushed lightly and looked away.

"It's none of your business, Hatori." Hatori was about to say something, but Shigure spoke again. "How is Akito?" Shigure asked, steering the subject away from himself. Hatori sighed, his curiosity fading into anxiety. "That bad, huh?"

"He's gradually getting weaker. I doubt he'll last through the approaching winter." Shigure nodded somberly.

"His worst fear is that no one will mourn his death." The writer said.

"Many won't," Hatori replied coldly. Although he didn't blame Akito, he honestly wouldn't be unhappy to be rid of the burden of having him around, however heartless it sounded.

"Someone will," Shigure corrected. Hatori glanced up at him coldly. "I cannot speak for anyone in the Sohma family, but I think I can safely say that Honda Tohru will shed tears when he dies." Hatori chuckled sullenly.

"She'll be the only one."

"Yes, but it is a comfort to know that even one person will miss you."

"No one will truly miss Sohma Akito." Shigure shook his head. Hatori could be very stubborn.

"She cried for an hour when some strange homeless beggar on the street told her his pet beetle died while asking for money." Hatori's silence told Shigure he had more than proved his point. After ten minutes of sitting and sipping coffee in silence, Hatori shook his head in shame.

"One hour...that's so pathetic..." he mumbled dazedly. "Doesn't she embarrass you at all?"

"Nope." He said that with a starry eyes and a goofy grin on his face. "Tohru-chan is too cute to embarrass me!"

"Coming from you, I'm not sure that sounds legal." To Hatori's surprise, Shigure didn't just laugh and shrug it off. He seemed truly upset at the statement.

"I would never hurt Tohru-chan." His voice and face were serious, and he stared Hatori with earnestness that the dragon rarely saw in anyone. He thought about Shigure's words and attitude in the past week. They had been very unusual, almost to the point of having a different personality entirely. Was it all because he was taking care of Tohru?

"It's Tohru, isn't it? She's the one you love," Hatori said testily. Shigure blushed lightly.

"Why would I be foolish enough to fall for a little girl?" he snapped as if he were offended. Hatori sighed inwardly. Shigure didn't deny it.

"Be careful, Shigure. She's very young, still a child. On top of that, you know both Yuki and Kyou are in love with her." Shigure didn't reply, and Hatori couldn't see his eyes because they were hidden beneath his unruly bangs. "She has suffered greatly, and is fragile both physically and mentally. I suggest you keep your distance if you don't want to hurt her." Hatori stood and, after leaving some money for the check on the table, exited the building. Instead of leaving, the dog just sat and had a few more coffees and cakes. Shigure stared bitterly at his reflection in his coffee.

"It's not like she would ever notice let alone return my feelings," he mumbled to no one. A young waitress with short auburn hair came to clear his table and noticed the downcast expression on her customer's face. She had heard what he said and felt sorry for him.

"Girl trouble, sir?" she inquired with a friendly smile. He chuckled lightly and nodded as he downed the bittersweet liquid and handed her the cup. She gathered the empty snack plates, silverware, and cups. "The best thing to do is be honest, with her and yourself. Matters of such things as love have a mysterious way of working themselves out in good time. Here is your check, sir. I'll be back shortly to collect it," she chirped and turned to leave.

"What's your name?" Shigure called after her. She smiled warmly.

"My name is Yumi," she replied. She delivered the china to the kitchen and returned to collect the check. When she got back to the table, she was dressed in casual clothing and her uniform was in a duffel bag at her side. "Thank you very much, sir..." She noticed that he was still troubled and, after much consideration and hesitating, decided to try and help him further. "I'm off work now, so would you like to talk about it?" Shigure looked up in surprise. She didn't even know his name and yet this girl was asking a strange older man to spend time with her after work hours. A certain part of him was cheering and ecstatic. _High school girls, high school girls..._

"Thank you for your kindness, Yumi-san, but it is not a good idea to get involved with strange old men like myself. It could cost you severely in the future. Besides, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you any more." Yumi giggled.

"I don't mind. I enjoy helping people. I'm a good listener," she said in an attempt to sway his decision. Shigure gave a relenting nod and they left together, heading for the park. Shigure told her about Tohru, discreetly leaving out anything about the curse and his past. Yumi just listened carefully, never once interrupting. She really was a good listener.

"Well, your cousins are only closer to her because they show her they want to get to know her, even if they don't make a definite move. Honda-san sees that and responds to it. But, if you were to make an effort, you would have just as good of a chance as them." Shigure sighed.

"I doubt it. Yuki and Kyou are her age, and she can relate to them. I'm just a twenty-eight year old novelist who lives in the same house. I'm old enough to be her father-well, her uncle, maybe..." he trailed off, blushing. Yumi laughed at his comical expression.

"Well, she said she trusts you, right? That's a good sign. Even if you say she is too trusting, her trust is important." She looks him up and down. "You had better to do well not to abuse it. A woman can easily trust someone once, but once that trust is destroyed, we have a very difficult time recovering. This Honda Tohru sounds like a very nice girl, and I think the only real advice I can give you is this: remember to just be yourself and take things slowly." She gave Shigure her number and told him to call her anytime if he needed a woman's advice. He thanked her politely and began to make his way back toward his cozy little home. Hopefully it wasn't torn to shreds by a couple of feuding cousins while he was out. After all, the others had probably been home for several hours. The sun was already beginning to set.

_...just be yourself and take things slowly..._

Easy for her to say! If he acted like himself, if he showed Tohru what he was really like, she would be more afraid of him than Kyou on a stormy day. Shigure saw his house just ahead, with Tohru hanging the laundry out front, and decided to push it out of his mind for the time being. Tohru saw him and waved energetically. Yuki and Kyou were sitting on the porch, fighting over a thesaurus for their literature projects, which were due in less than a week. He suppressed the urge to chuckle at their childish behavior. There was another, albeit less useful, thesaurus sitting unused just a few feet away from them. He approached Tohru and helped her finish the laundry. She didn't even object. Was something wrong with her?

"How was your first day back, Tohru-chan?" he asked her. She blushed and looked away.

"I got in trouble," she replied in a small voice. Shigure raised a curious eyebrow. Tohru... in trouble? That's interesting.

"For what, Tohru-chan?" he asked.

"I was writing the story in class," she answered honestly, although she was clearly still ashamed. "They said that I was very rude and foolish not to pay attention after being out for so long. Also, they told me that my guardian will have to come in and talk with them." Shigure chuckled lightly and ruffled her hair with his hand like one would do to a young child. She looked up, a little nervous and confused. He just smiled down at her reassuringly.

"If you want, I can go in. You don't need to tell your grandfather; the conference would be a waste of his time. They won't have anything important to say." She went from scared to relieved and curious instantly.

"How do you know what they'll say?" she inquired.

"I used to do the same thing when I was in high school. I got in trouble all the time for playing pranks and for writing stories, but I could never stop, not even when adults would yell and try to discipline me," he laughed. "So, don't worry about it, Tohru-chan. I understand, and it's perfectly okay to test yourself now. Otherwise, you won't have an idea of the improvements you need to make for your next book, ne?" Tohru's face brightened and she nodded, her eyes sparkling with gratitude and affection.

"You're the best, Shigure-san!" she said and ran off to finish the chores. Shigure sighed and looked at the piece of paper with Yumi's number on it carefully. He would definitely need future advice.

Dinner time rolled around and Tohru prepared everyone a wonderful meal. Shigure went on one of his rants about her wonderful cooking and the other boys just shoved the food in their mouths and left. Tohru just smiled and cleaned up after them, not once complaining. For a short instant, dejection passed through her eyes, but she was quick to cover it with her sweet smile. It was in that moment that Shigure realized how troubled she was. Naturally, being the kind person that she was, Tohru didn't want to convey any signs of displeasure to anyone so that things would be more convenient for them. But, she was hurting herself repeatedly, or, better yet, they were hurting her. They were slowly and painfully killing what little life she had left in her, and no one seemed to care. They didn't even notice. He hadn't noticed until then.

"Tohru..." he allowed the name to leave his lips softly, a mere whisper. Tohru looked over at him cheerfully and tilted her head to the side inquiringly. "I'm so sorry..." She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, although her eyes showed she knew what it was about. She knew she let her mask slip a fraction too long, and that Shigure had seen her hidden suffering. Blushing, she bowed her head in mortification.

"It's fine, Shigure-san. I'm used to it. I don't mind being alone, so you don't have to stay." Her voice was shaky. Her body was trembling and her fists clenched as she fought off a wave of tears. Shigure moved over to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. How he wished he could hold her at that moment! But, he could never hold her. That was the real curse of the Sohma family. They weren't never aloud to be close to anyone, especially not the ones they loved.

"No, Tohru." His voice was stern and resolute. Tohru tensed slightly at the sound of it. She wasn't used to Shigure taking such a harsh tone with her. "It's not fine. This is wrong! Why didn't you say something to us? Don't you know you can trust us?"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts! I thought you said you could trust us, Tohru, trust _me_. Did something happen to make that change?" Tohru shook her head wordlessly. "Then why don't you tell us when something is wrong? Yuki and Kyou care about you Tohru!" Tohru was staring up at him with a hopeful look on her face.

"And you? Do...you...care about...me?" she stuttered, gazing into his eyes like a lost child that found hope in a warm smile and helping hand.

"Yes, we all do. We care very much, Tohru. No one wants you to be unhappy," Shigure said, being as vague as possible with his answer. Tohru smiled and hugged Shigure. He didn't mind. He'd gladly take a hug from Tohru any time of any day. It was well worth turning into a dog if it meant getting special attention from her.

A knock on the door made them both jump. Tohru answered the door and let out a happy cry. Shigure heard her two friends talking to her and quickly made a dash for his room with his clothes. It wouldn't be a pleasant scene if he turned back in front of them. Yuki heard the commotion and poked his head out of the room momentarily until his curiosity was satisfied. He just went back to reading his book after he saw them.

"So, what's the occasion?" Tohru inquired with an excited smile on her lips. Uo pointed to the girl next to her.

"Hana said we had to come over and cheer you up or something." Tohru looked over at Hana, a secret shine of gratitude in her blue eyes.

"Well, I was a little upset earlier, but I'm fine," she said. Her two friends stared at her skeptically.

"You're not just hiding it to keep us from worrying, are you?" Uo said. "Because it won't work, Tohru. We're your friends and we care too much about you to just watch you hurt yourself for others, especially for these Sohma boys. They don't deserve the sacrifices you've been making for them." Tohru was surprised at her friend's voice.

"What's wrong with the Sohmas? If it was someone else, would you think differently?" she asked defensively.

"That's not what we are saying, Tohru," Hana said. "There is something unnatural about their auras. They have too many walls around their hearts; walls that I doubt will ever fully disappear. Because of that, I don't think any of them can ever truly share their heart with another. They could never return your love and warm kindness, Tohru. I know that hurts you. That's why I think-we both think-you should stop seeing the Sohmas, or at least stop living with them."

Tohru stepped back away from them. Her emotions were unclear and running wild. Why would her friends want to tear her away from her home? Did they really think she was unhappy, and that it was the fault of the entire Sohma family? She turned and ran down the hallway. At the same moment, Shigure had stepped out of his room, finally back in his human form. They collided. Tohru tripped and landed on him. From the door, all that was seen was a large cloud of smoke and Tohru falling to the floor. She curled up into a ball and Shigure, once more a dog, sat beside her and licked her face with a worried expression. He could get away with tender acts like kissing her face if she saw him as a dog. He spoke softly to her, softly enough that the approaching girls would hear.

"Tohru, should I leave?" he asked, more than willing to stay by her side. Tohru nodded and Shigure rose to his pawed feet. "Will you be alright?" She nodded again and Shigure scampered off. Tohru sat up and found her friends kneeling down next to her.

"Tohru-chan, are you alright?" Uo inquired while Hana just stared at Shigure's closed door. She had sensed his aura in the hallway with Tohru, but hadn't seen him at all.

"I'm fine, Uo-chan!" She chirped. "No need to worry about me! I'm clumsy so I'm used to it!" All three of them laughed, knowing it was the truth. They all sat down and had some snacks while they chatted.

"So, Tohru, have you finished all the homework you had to make up?" Tohru shook her head. "Have you done any of it?"

"Yes, I've don't most of it, actually. It was pretty hard, but Shigure-san was a big help. I still have the project to do, and from what I've heard from Sohma-kun and Kyou-kun, it's going to be pretty hard."

"No, it was easy. They're just guys, so poetry is hard for them, I bet," Uo said. The three friends laughed. Silence fell over them and Tohru shifted uncomfortably. There had been a tense atmosphere around them since Uo and Hana told her to leave the Shigure's house.

"Umm..." Tohru began. Her friends smiled, knowing she was uneasy.

"So, what were you writing that got you into trouble so many times today?" Uo asked. Tohru blushed and looked away.

"Yes, what were you so interested in? Your aura was soaring in excitement and joy when you were scribbling in your notebook," Hana added.

"It was that story I told you about," Tohru answered honestly, her blush still clearly present. Hana smiled when she heard that.

"Is it almost finished?" she inquired. Tohru nodded, feeling the same excitement course through her veins as she spoke about Shigure's novel.

"Yes, and I can't wait to show Shigure-san. I think he'll like it...I hope," she said, her blush deepening as she bowed her head cutely in embarrassment.

"Who cares if what that dirty old pervert thinks?" Uo said thoughtlessly. Hana elbowed her discreetly and she noticed the confused look on Tohru's sweet face.

"I...umm..." she trailed off. "I think...I care." _I really do care what he thinks. I always have, but since I had a chance to learn more about him, I've cared a lot more for some reason. Besides, he's my friend!_ "He's not a dirty old pervert, Uo-chan. He's my friend."

"Maybe you're just too trusting. With the things he's always saying and the books he writes, I wouldn't trust him at all."

"I think he seems the most trustworthy of all the Sohmas I've met so far," Hana said. Both Uo and Tohru stared at her with shock written all over their faces.

"Hana, you can't be serious!" the blond shouted.

"Really, Hana-chan? I think the same thing! I'm so happy you agree!" Tohru exclaimed with a goofy grin.

"Still, be careful, Tohru," the psychic advised mysteriously. Both girls left soon after. Tohru smiled and waved at them as they disappeared from view. When they were out of sight, her smile faded and she felt tears prick her eyes again. She forced them back and scowled at herself.

"I am so pathetic," she mumbled. "But, I really did mean it when I said Shigure was important to me. All of the Sohmas are, and I want to stay with them, even if it means being hurt."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters, and I am making no profit off this fanfic.**_

Shigure watched as Yuki and Kyou began their long walk to school. He glanced back at Tohru, who was still getting ready. She had woken up late because of her new bad habit of staying up until early morning writing, and she had told the boys to go ahead without her. It didn't matter anyway. Shigure was driving in to speak with the teachers, and he offered to give her a lift. Upon arriving at school, Shigure was met with many curious gazes from the other Sohmas and other students in the hallways. Momiji was the first to approach him about his unexpected presence.

"Hi, Shigure! What're you doing here?" he asked with his usual cheerful smile. Shigure just shrugged and nudged Tohru. She took the hint and began to lead him to the office. "Tohru? Shigure?"

"He's taking care of some business for me, Momiji," Tohru called over her shoulder as she practically skipped toward the principal's office leading her 'guardian' by the hand. Shigure didn't mind the bouncy, goofy grin she was wearing. In fact, seeing it, he couldn't refrain from grinning as well. As the entered the office, however, Tohru grew somber and nervous. The secretary looked up momentarily and notified the principal of his new guests. They were escorted into the office and seated in nice chairs across the desk from a burly, aged man that governed the school.

"Welcome," he said in a friendly, gruff voice. "I am Principal Kinamoto Takeshi." Mr. Kinamoto nodded to Shigure, who smiled in turn.

"It's nice to meet you, sir. I'm Sohma Shigure, Tohru's legal guardian at the moment," the novelist lied calmly. He wasn't really, technically, officially, exactly her legal guardian; illegal, maybe, but not really legal.

"Ah, I see. Well, Sohma-san, Honda-kun has been showing poor conduct as of late, and many of her teachers seem to think it is safe to say that we need to conduct an inspection of her study and living environment." Tohru paled visibly and glanced at Shigure's calm face. This was more serious than she had expected, and much worse than what he'd told her.

"I see. When should I schedule it? Tohru-chan and I were planning on going to a press conference this weekend for my latest novel, so I would prefer if we could work around that event. Tohru-chan really wanted to go, ne?" he said lightly, smiling at her. Tohru hesitantly nodded. Shigure just grinned and patted her on the back. "She's an aspiring novelist, you see. She's been working hard to finish her story so that I could edit it before this weekend. Sometimes, she gets carried away. I think it's genetic. I was the same way when I was her age, and she is my niece, after all." Tohru couldn't believe her ears. Shigure was creating a web of lies right in front of her. She definitely couldn't say anything anymore. She was a terrible liar. Shigure, on the other hand, looked like he was enjoying it. The principal, clearly buying the act, sighed.

"Yes, of course. I personally don't think it's necessary, but I suggest you have a firm talk with your niece about the consequences of poor high school grades," Kinamoto-san insisted. Shigure nodded obediently. "Well, sorry to take up your time over something trivial like this, Sohma-san." Shigure shrugged it off.

"It's no problem. I already finished the five hundred pages I needed to, so my editor won't mind. Besides, Tohru-chan is a matter of top priority to me, so naturally she comes before my work." Tohru blushed at the compliment, which did not go unnoticed by her principal. He just ignored it and excused them. Once they were in the hallway, Tohru turned to Shigure with starry eyes of admiration.

"That was amazing, Shigure-san! How can you stay so calm under pressure like that? I would have made so many contradictions if I had to do that!" she exclaimed. Shigure smiled nervously.

"I'm not sure it's a skill you'd want to learn. Lying isn't the best way to solve problems, Tohru-chan. But, it's a lot like coming up with a good storyline for a book. It's basically what I do for a living, so it was easy," he replied and looked at his watch. "You'd better get to class." Tohru nodded and sprinted off to her classroom. Shigure sighed and leaned against the wall exhaustedly. He'd been up all night creating all possible excuses for things that could go wrong during the meeting. He didn't want Tohru to know; she'd think he was pathetic and wasting his energy on her. Still, if it's spent on her, it's not wasted energy. He was just happy their book wasn't confiscated. Their book...yes, it was theirs. It was a combination of their pasts, hearts, words, thoughts, and futures on paper, and he desperately wanted to know how it ended. He preferred a happy ending, but it was really up to Tohru to finish the story...their story.

He went home and spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing productive. He ate, took a nap, read a book, napped again, made zodiac origami, took another nap, and slept a little more after that. The loud crash as someone slammed and broke the door woke him up, much to his dismay. Yuki and Kyou both made their way inside while Tohru picked up the remains of the door. Hana and Uotani both watched her, and Uo eventually bent down and helped.

Shigure saw the fake smile Tohru was wearing and felt his heart bleed for her. Hana sent him a protective death glare, clearly thinking he was going to just brush her off like the other Sohmas, and Shigure fought his instincts to bolt from the suspicious psychic. He somehow managed to hold his ground, sort of. He disappeared momentarily into the kitchen, hearing clearly the insults being thrown at him and the others, and reappeared with a roll of rice paper and tape for the door. Tohru's fake grin softened into a genuine smile, and she thanked the dog as he helped her repair the damages.

"I've definitely got to have a talk to them about breaking so many doors. The main house isn't going to give us any further financial support as of...well, as of last month, actually." Tohru looked up at him in surprise.

"Really? That seems sort of rude, considering you're family, ne?" she blushed when she heard her own bitter tone of voice. "I mean, Sohma-kun and Kyou-kun can't really help it. They have been fighting as long as the Nezumi and the Neko have hated each other. They can't very well go against their nature, and it's also the only way they communicate. If you say something, they might not acknowledge each other at all and that would be much worse...don't you agree, Shigure-san?" she asked in her usual sweet tone. Shigure nodded dumbly.

"I suppose, Tohru-chan, but it's also in their nature to use the people around them. They really don't care if they hurt other people because they have been hurt so deeply themselves, Yuki and Kyou in particular. Well, at least Yuki tried to remain civil as for as long as he could, but he's still hurting and afraid of his past. He and many of us Sohmas are cold and cruel, and we very rarely show others our true selves. After all, what's the point? We can never be close to our loved ones," he said, a said smile playing on his lips. He replaced the fixed door. Uo and Hana silently watched the exchange, and were caught off guard when Shigure addressed them directly, although his eyes never left Tohru's, and his expression grew firm and strict.

"Perhaps it would be best, Hanajima-san, Uotani-san, if Tohru stayed with one of you from now on. Albeit, it is her choice, but I think it would be the best thing for all of us." He winced visibly as Tohru shot him a look of betrayal and hurt. She rose to her feet and ran out of the house, slamming the door shut so fast that it fell off its path and broke again. Shigure sighed and hid his eyes behind his unruly locks of dark hair as he began to tape the broken cross-sections of the door in an attempt to salvage it. Uo had sprinted off after Tohru, wanting to protect her with a hug as always. Hana stayed behind and watched Shigure's futile attempts to save what was left of the paper door.

"It's a lot like Tohru-chan," the man mumbled distantly. His voice was shaky and his breathing equally unsteady. "It looks strong from a distance, but it's actually very fragile. It's been abused repeatedly, and now it's most likely broken beyond repair. All I can do is try to mend what little I can, even if I have to send it away to someone who is much better at it than I am. But...Tohru's much rarer than a paper door. No, unlike this door, she can never be replaced." Hana knelt down next to him and tried to assist him in his task, but only poked another hole in the rice paper. She sighed and just watched as the novelist fumbled around clumsily with a heavy heart.

"Tohru was hurt by the Sohmas, but she can also be healed by a Sohma," the gothic girl uttered mysteriously and sauntered out the door to meet Uo, who was waiting with a sniffling Tohru. Shigure told the girls he would deliver her things to her grandfather's house before the evening was through, so that she would have something to sleep in.

"Don't cry, Tohru-chan!" Shigure exclaimed with a smile plastered on his face. "You'll still see Yuki, Kyou and the others in school." She just sobbed quietly and refused to acknowledge his remarks. He nodded farewell and her two friends lead her away from the house. Shigure turned to go back inside, but halted when he heard her say something.

"I won't be able to finish the last chapter," she mumbled. Shigure made a mental note to pack her book with her clothes. He looked up and saw Yuki staring out the second floor window with a forlorn expression on his feminine face. Shigure scowled. It was his own fault that Tohru had to leave, and yet he was going to sulk and blame Shigure and Kyou entirely. Sure, it was partially their fault, but Yuki wasn't innocent either. Yuki's slim frame disappeared from view and Shigure glared at where the boy had been standing long after he was gone. __

_ Well, Tohru's gone now. I can't change that. But still...I feel horrible. I can still see the tears rolling down her cheeks as she was dragged away. I wish I could hold her in my arms just once. Perhaps I should visit Akito about having Tohru's memories erased. It might be less painful for her if she doesn't remember. _

Shigure picked up the receiver of the phone and pressed the speed dial button. Hatori's voice answered, and Shigure sighed heavily.

"Hatori-san, how are you today?" Shigure asked. His voice was devoid of any of its usual playfulness and cheer.

"I'm fine, Shigure-san. Is there something you need to discuss with me?" the dragon replied darkly.

"What would I need to do to get you to erase Honda-san's memories of the Sohma family?" Hatori gasped. He hadn't been expecting something so extreme. He thought Tohru or one of the boys had gotten sick or something.

"Who suggested this? Did Tohru say she wanted to forget?"

"No..." the dog trailed off. "But I think it's for in her best interest that she has nothing to do with _us_ from now on." Hatori shuddered at Shigure's tone. Akito called Hatori as cold as snow, but Shigure, when he was serious, was even more intense, and the dangerous gleam his eyes took on at such times was truly terrifying. Hatori was glad he wasn't there to see it.

"I'll come over right away, Shigure-san," Hatori said at length.

"No, I'll give you the address she is staying at. Come and retrieve her belongings first. Then go immediately there." It wasn't a request. Shigure was giving him a strict order. The moment the dog hung up the phone, Hatori packed a medical bag for appearance and headed over to the address he was given. Upon reaching the building, he was greeted by an elderly man he suspected was Tohru's grandfather. The man led him inside, worriedly questioning him about his daughter's health. Hatori just politely replied that Tohru was in good health and was just due for a checkup. It seemed to bring the old man some relief. Hatori was instructed to wait in the kitchen, where he was met with several curious stares from three other people he assumed were family members.

"So, were you one of the guys Tohru-chan got shacked up with?" the elder of the two ladies inquired bitingly. The younger one batted her eyelashes flirtatiously.

"She has good taste," she said, trying to catch his attention. Hatori just coldly ignored them. His cold glare softened when Tohru came out with a big smile on her face.

"Hatori-san! What brings you here?" she inquired happily, taking his had and slowly leading him away form the other members of the household.

"Shigure sent me," he began, and Tohru nervously stopped short. Her sudden change of attitude drew her grandfather's attention. She released his hand and stared at the floor as she swallowed heavily.

"Oh..." she murmured. "I see...so, it's not just a regular visit then..." A long pause followed, and Hatori didn't dare say anything. "I had a feeling he would decide to do that. How much will I remember?" Hatori frowned at the way she said that. Usually people would want to know how much they would forget._ But, Tohru's different. She always views things in a different light, much like Kana did. She looks at the gloomy winter snow and sees the impending spring._

"Nothing about the Sohma family beyond what you'd know as a classmate to Yuki, Kyou, Momiji, and Hatsuharu. You will know nothing of Shigure, Ayame, me other than that I was your doctor, Ritsu, Hiro, Kisa, Rin, Kagura, Akito, or the curse." Tohru's nodded sadly and turned to face him, reluctant acceptance written all over her face.

"I can tell I don't have a choice about what memories I can keep, but can I ask you to wait just a little bit longer?" Hatori began to fumble with his answer and Tohru looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Hatori? Just one more day?" The doctor relented and Tohru tried to hug him, but he skillfully side-stepped her and she saw her grandfather watching them curiously. She blushed and showed Hatori to the door. "Thank you very much, Hatori, for everything. You've been a great doctor and friend. I'll see you tomorrow."

The moment the door was closed, Tohru scurried over to the room she shared with her cousin, ignoring the curious stares of her relatives and the concerned one of her grandfather, and locked herself away. She only had one night left to decide how she wanted the story to end. She wrote for hours one end, blocking out everything outside her writing.

Tohru smiled at the ending. It left the rest up to the imagination of the reader. Somewhere deep down, though, she was frightened about what the reader might come up with. What would her reader think when he read it? With that thought in mind, Tohru fell into a restless sleep. The next morning, first thing, she was woken by a loud, furious pounding on her door. She paled, realizing that she had locked her roommate and cousin out. _Oops...oh well. Nothing I can do about it now. I guess I should let her in. Teehee._ She rose and opened the door, ignoring her cousin's annoying banter and walking into the kitchen, still in her pajamas. She tensed when she saw Hatori sitting on the couch speaking casually with her grandfather. He glanced up at her meaningfully and nodded a greeting. She bowed respectfully.

"Are you prepared?" he asked gently. She nodded, although her body language told him she wasn't.

"Will you give something to Shigure for me?" she asked calmly. Hatori was admittedly surprised at how at peace and composed she was. He led her into her room and she pointed to the package on the table. The door closed and Hatori covered her eyes with his hand and looked down at her sadly.

"I am glad to have known you, Honda Tohru, and I truly hope you can find peace and happiness after this is over." Those were his last words to her, and he didn't give her a chance to reply as he allowed his powers to suppress her memories of the Sohma family. He rose and walked out of the apartment, telling her family that he gave her some medication for an illness that would have side affects affecting her memory if she was allergic, but that it should be temporary. He also told him that she was mentally unstable and needed a lot of love and care.

Tohru slowly came to and sat up in her bed. She had no clue what happened to her. She stepped out of the room and rubbed her eyes. "Ohayo, grandfather," she mumbled sleepily. Her family all treated her nicely for the weeks that followed. They made sure she was comfortable and happy, and she smiled and told them she was. Still, she couldn't help but feel as though something had been missing. Uo and Hana weren't able to tell her anything [Hatori erased their memories as well]. She just shook it off, and focused on doing her best during the rest of the school year. She completed her poetry project on friendship, and the teacher gave her the highest grade in the class for her 'touching masterpiece' as the teacher liked to call it.

During the end of the year graduation ceremony, Tohru had gotten a chance to see all of her classmates' relatives. She was surprised at how many Sohmas there were. She noticed of them staring proudly at her as she stood with her class on stage. Her eyes connected with his and she felt her chest constrict painfully. Why was he smiling at her like that, with such forlorn longing? Why did he seem so familiar? An image flashed in her mind, a vivid picture of his tender smile. Where had that image come from? Why did it make her happy, make her want to smile back? She blushed when she realized that she was smiling, grinning from ear to ear, reaching her eyes and lighting up her face. She wanted to cheer him up. Tohru was called on to make a speech, as all students were at some time in the ceremony. She took a deep breath and began.

"My mother once told me that, to achieve any goal, I should start by being myself and taking things slowly. I held fast to that for many years, even more so after she died three years ago. But, at the time, I didn't understand who I was. Who was Tohru? Slowly, by growing with the people around me, I was able to discover the person inside me little by little. I was able to be myself because I had people there beside me, growing and finding themselves as well. I was never alone in my journey. I don't think I could have made it alone. I've been told that the strong survive in the world, but I'm not an animal. I am a person, a person who has weaknesses. And...That's okay. It's okay to be weak sometimes, because that's why you have friends and people who care about you. You are supposed to lean on each other and help each other.

"When I was a little girl, my class would always play Fruits Basket, a game where everyone would be given a fruits. When their fruit was called, they were allowed to join in the fun. I was always given the onigiri, the rice ball, by my classmates. I guess, looking back on it, that was their way of teasing me, as children often do. I just remember smiling and waiting, hoping for someone to call out 'onigiri' so that I could join the group. I didn't really understand then. A rice ball doesn't belong in a Fruits Basket. But now, I realize that a rice ball doesn't need to be in a fruits basket. It can shine well enough with other rice balls, each with their own, unique pickled plums, or good qualities, stuck on their backs for the entire world to see. Sometimes, the rice ball cannot see their own pickled plum, but that's why others are there to point it out.

"Those people are important to me. They helped me overcome the memories of my past. I want to keep my memories with me until one day, they won't be painful anymore. But, because they still are, those closest to me, my friends and family, are still here to help me bear those memories and pains. I don't ever want to lose that. Despite the joy I feel at being able to go my own way, I still want to stay together with those people. I want to stay together, and eat our meals together, and listen to their problems, hear what's on their mind, talk to them about me, laugh with them, cry with them, and remember with them, _live_ with them... I want to hold onto that love...because that love is the only thing that keeps me from giving up. It's the only thing that's truly important to me. Even if we have to start all over again, love and those memories are the only things worth holding onto." She replaced the microphone, stepped down from the podium, and wiped the tears from her eyes. People applauded politely, and there were several exceptional cheers from her classmates. Tohru allowed her teary eyes to drift over to the young man she had seen in the crowd. He was staring at her with wide eyes, filled to the brim with tears of revelation. It's as if her speech had shone a light onto an unclear, dark area of his life that he hadn't understood before.

Her grandfather offered to take Tohru, Uotani, and Hanajima out to celebrate, to treat them to an expensive meal or drop them off somewhere, and they gladly accepted. "Hey, let's ask the Sohma boys to join us," Hana suggested. Uo gave her a mocking smirk and shook her head.

"Why would you ever want to invite those guys? Hana, sometimes I question your sanity."

"Ano..." Three pairs of eyes turned to Tohru, who was already standing before a large group of Sohmas. Her grandfather and friends were surprised when she just blushed and began to murmur nonsense. It wasn't like her. Usually, especially in the past year, she was very articulate and expressive. "I'd like...well, would you mind if...you see...I'm...we've never spoken much before, but...umm...ano ne...Tohru ne..." Yuki, Kyou, Hatori, Momiji, Hatsuharu, and Ayame just stared at her blankly.

"Dammit woman, use words!" Kyou yelled. Yuki glared at him before smiling at Tohru as charmingly as possible.

"Is there something we can do for you, Honda-san?" the prince of their high school asked gently. Tohru's face just grew redder and she shook her head. She had the intention of leaving the room as quickly as possible; mentally cursing herself for being a coward, but someone bounced up to the group and greeted the others, seemingly oblivious to her presence at first.

Shigure stared at the familiar girl in awe. She was even cuter than he remembered. But, that didn't explain why she was standing next to the Sohmas and sputtering like an idiot. She was embarrassed about something, and Shigure felt the need to comfort her rise up within him.

"Hi there! I'm Sohma Shigure. Nice to meet you!" he exclaimed in his happy-go-lucky tone, which he had rarely used since Tohru left. Everyone was clearly surprised how quickly he reverted back to his old self, but said nothing. "And what would your name be?"

"T-T-Tohru," she stuttered, and chanced a quick peek at his face. The easygoing grin on his face helped her relax for some reason, and she found herself smiling right back at him. He reminded her of the main character in a story she helped write a while back. He was very kind and hid his problems with a smile. He lost his first love and tried to escape from the world. He gave up all hope.

However, she hadn't liked that ending. She had decided that the main character deserved a second chance at love and life, and had brought another young foreign girl into his life. She was full of life, but not elegant or beautiful like the first lady to capture his heart...

"Would you care to join my friends and me for lunch to celebrate the end of the year?" she inquired innocently. They all exchanged opinionated looks and nodded. Tohru smiled, introduced them to her friends and family, and they all got into two separate cars heading to the same restaurant. At the restaurant, they all ate and chatted happily, as if they had known each other for years. Uo and Momiji picked on Kyou, Hana watched Shigure suspiciously, Haru clung to an annoyed Yuki as the rat spoke to Tohru, Hatori exchanged casual information with Tohru's grandfather while Ayame laughed loudly and tried to keep up with their extensive vocabulary, and Shigure silently watched Tohru eat and converse with Yuki.

Tohru felt Shigure's eyes constantly on her. He didn't say anything to her, but he just kept watching her every move. It was a little unnerving.

"Umm...Shigure-san?" she began uncertainly. He turned and looked at her somberly. "What do you do for a living?" She didn't care what was said, just as long as he was speaking and not staring at her silently.

"I'm a novelist," he replied briefly.

"Oh..."

Another silence passed and Tohru shifted uncomfortably.

"Why?" he asked at length.

"Just curious."

"I see..." he trailed off.

"I wrote a story once," she told him. Shigure raised a curious eyebrow, and silent hope filled his insides. The story she's referring to...was it...?

"Well, it wasn't really my story. All I can remember about it is that it was my friend's story and my friend couldn't decide how to end it and gave it to me. I don't think I did it justice."

"What was it about?" he questioned eagerly. Tohru was a little surprised at his tone, but said nothing.

"I called it _For Fruits Basket_ because of a short passage I put near the end that came from one of my own past experiences. It was about a young man who had everything he cared about taken from him because of familial circumstances. The woman he loved was killed for wanting to be with him. He lost his family, his home, and his life as he knew it. He escaped to a small isolated house far from all people who could hurt him and gave up all hope. That was where my friend left off." By this time all other conversations had ceased and everyone was listening to what Tohru was saying.

"But, I decided that he deserved a second chance, and so he met a young foreign girl. She was full of life, but not elegant or beautiful like the first lady to capture his heart. Slowly, he began to trust her and open up more and more. She was much younger than him, but it didn't matter. They went from acquaintances to friends, from friends to something between friends and lovers, and then, one day, the girl was in an accident and lost her memories of him. Even so, he wasn't discouraged. He marched right up to her on the street and introduced himself. It didn't matter to him if they had to start all over again. What mattered was that it was worth the effort, and that, perchance, she might one day be able to return his forever undying, unspoken love and devotion to her."

She blushed at the tense scrutiny she was brought under by her listeners as she finished. Shigure began to search his coat, pulled out a long, narrative book, and handed it to her. Tohru stared at the front cover in awe. The title was written in decorative English lettering _For Fruits Basket_. Directly beneath it in Japanese characters was 'By Honda Tohru.' It was nominated for and won a best-selling novel of the year award, too. Tohru just stared at the cover, amazed beyond words. She opened the book to the first page and saw the dedication inscribed. '_Dedicated to the Sohmas, who I hope are free and healed of their past scars, and also to all those who have yet to live.'_ Beneath it was a drawing of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac.

"This..." she began. She didn't remember anything about this dedication. She didn't remember giving it to anyone. But, something deep inside, a small repressed part of her heart knew that this was how it was meant to be. This was exactly what she had intended at the time she wrote the words on that page. Somewhere alone the line, she had lost something very precious to her, and she desperately wanted it back. "I can't remember...but...the zodiac...I think..." she trailed off once more and looked up at Shigure pensively, as if deciding something. Then, without warning, in front of the entire private table, she threw herself at him and embraced him. He transformed into the dog of the zodiac and froze in shock. Everyone stared in horror at the scene before them. Tohru pulled back slightly and looked down at the animal in her arms. She smiled at him, not a trace repulsion in it at all, just a genuine accepting smile that somehow made everything okay again. "I think we can start again." Shigure smiled up at her.

"I'd like that," he answered. "I'd like that a lot, koibito."

_The End...?_

_**A/n: This will probably be the last chapter of A Writer's Tale. I know this was a super corny way of ending it, but I didn't want to continue it anymore. If anyone actually read this far, I'm impressed. I wouldn't have been able to read this much of my writing. Congratulations! You made it! Here, have a candy bar and a Shigure plushy! Btw, koibito means sweetheart or love in case anyone actually wondered (at least that's what my Japanese-English dictionary's telling me). Ja!**_


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